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CREATIVE entrepreneur Tamar Leek, popularly known as Bahrain Barbie, has left her fans in the kingdom heartbroken as she moved to Abu Dhabi this month to embrace new opportunities.
The songstress and fashionista, who has more than 35,000 followers on Instagram and videos with over 165,000 views, has been inundated with heartfelt messages, including the million-dollar question: ‘Will you still call yourself Bahrain Barbie?’.
“I’m not sure yet, it’s an affectionate nickname the lovely people in Bahrain gave me and I wear it with pride,” Tamar told GulfWeekly.
“I remember walking in the streets and people would say ‘you look like Barbie’ or ‘hey, Barbie!’ and I came up with the name Bahrain Barbie,” she added.
Over the last seven years, Tamar has strategically built the iconic brand, setting milestones in her illustrious career, spanning entertainment, fashion, beauty and content creation.
She staged her first major event – The Bahrain Barbie Show – last year, which she single-handedly designed and organised.
“One of my biggest achievements was designing this show, featuring pop and rock music,” she said.
“The theme was ‘a day in the life of a fashionista Barbie doll that can do it all’. The idea was that, women can do whatever they set their mind to and look great while doing it. There was an Arab-inspired look as well. It was a beautiful blend of Middle Eastern and Western cultures, with modest fashion,” the style icon, known for her distinct wardrobe featuring self-designed pieces, reminisced, highlighting that she has always integrated western and Middle Eastern cultures in a ‘sensitive and innovative’ way.
Tamar has staged numerous other productions, from fantasy-, family-, and French-inspired shows to a glitzy Gatsby-themed event earlier this year.
The English expatriate also performed at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix and in the paddock at the Saudi Arabian race, and was a contestant on the famed Middle Beast’s XP X Perform Competition in Riyadh where she sang in English and Arabic – a testament to her versatility and love for Arab culture and the kingdom.
Tamar’s other recent achievements include being a support act for American rock band Greta Van Fleet at Al Dana Amphitheatre last year, winning Best Innovative Ideas Influencer at the Social Media Awards, becoming a Sephora Middle East finalist for her makeup and artistry, and releasing her debut alternative rock album with her old band from Los Angeles – Reveries, all in 2022.
A nostalgic Tamar fondly remembered the time she spent with women with Down Syndrome and special needs at RIA centre, teaching them a trick or two about makeup.
“My friend invited me to visit and teach the ladies and we learned how to do a winged liner and more. One girl couldn’t help looking at herself in the mirror, which was such a beautiful moment for me,” she noted.
Growing up in Solihull town in the West Midlands in England, Tamar struck her peers as ‘odd’ and ‘quirky’ due to her unique style sense, which led her to face bullying. However, she was determined to pursue a singing career. She secured a Performing Arts diploma at Stratford-upon-Avon College and Contemporary Dance Degree at De Montfort University in Leicester against the odds.
“My father wanted me to become an artist but I really wanted to become a singer,” she added, highlighting that she pursues art as a hobby now.
Life will come full circle for Tamar as she is set to return to the kingdom over New Year’s to stage a 90’s-themed show at the InterContinental Bahrain. The artist landed here seven years ago on a singing contract with the hotel.
Currently, Tamar is looking forward to her new journey with her ‘Ken’ Charles Benoit Dubois, an investment banker with BNP Paribas, who she met in the kingdom.
“I’ve met my match, he is perfect. He supports my creativity and is my biggest fan. He even matches my style! We look forward to our fun new Abu Dhabi adventure. I am waiting to explore new career opportunities in Abu Dhabi and challenge myself in a new country, but my heart remains in Bahrain,” she said.
